Discover Inspiring Stories

Triumphs and tragedies of Thomas Paine’s life unfold in To Begin the World Over Again, a one-man play filmed live in Hollywood. Paine, provocative writer and flawed politician, ignited revolutions yet died ignored. His radical ideas on democracy, equality, and morality still challenge us: “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”

An MPB Original Production honoring the life, work, and impact of one of Mississippi’s most courageous voices. This powerful two-hour documentary features interviews with Evers’ family, colleagues, and historians. Everlasting offers a moving, personal look at his legacy in the fight for civil rights.

Alexander Esquivel, an undocumented migrant from El Salvador who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, recounts his experience being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for two months in 2025.

Earlier this year, the federal government removed exhibits showing slavery and George Washington’s treatment of enslaved people at the President’s House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Community leaders quickly pushed back, both in person with activism and in court.

Before Lincoln Park was known for its multimillion-dollar homes, the neighborhood was the beating heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, and the base of operations for a band of Puerto Rican revolutionaries known as the Young Lords. Audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements are available.

In the Spring of 1962, a group of students from Miles College created and launched a “Selective Buying Campaign” to boycott Birmingham’s downtown merchants. Their success paved the way for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the SCLC to choose Birmingham for action in 1963.

The Vietnam War…In Central Pennsylvania, many supported America’s involvement. Many others did not. At the end of the war, veterans, activists and refugees all had one thing in common… They all had a story to tell. This program is proudly featured as part of the PBS Stories of Service Wavelength Series.

As the country observes the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Judy Woodruff is starting a new chapter of America at a Crossroads. She’ll explore what it means to be an American, how that idea has evolved since the nation’s founding and where we might be headed. She begins by looking at how closely our identity as Americans adheres to the template created by George Washington. Education resources available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-new

Defending Freedom tells the story of Birmingham-native Arthur D. Shores, and the impact he had on the civil rights movement as one of Alabama's first Black trial attorneys.

The story of the now legendary Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56. Locally engineered by Montgomery's Black community, this nonviolent protest to end bus segregation inspired a new era in freedom and human rights struggles around the globe.

In the shadows of the Vietnam War, the CIA organized a secret war in neighboring Laos to prevent communism from spreading deeper into Southeast Asia. The Hmong fought for the U.S. — and for themselves— to keep Ho Chi Minh’s regime from destroying their way of life.

A reflection on the life of freedom fighter and civic leader Josie Johnson, who fought for fair housing, education, and civil rights. Hear in her own words how her experiences turned her to activism. Johnson was inspired by activists who came before her, and the documentary shows how her activism continues to inspire the next generation of activists, including her grandchildren. The struggle for justice and equality continues, but there is hope in the struggle. Explore Hope i

Wyoming, the last state in the Rocky Mountains to adopt Prohibition, struggled to stop the sale of illegal liquor. It created a new...